Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee. Resort nearby
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Last updated on April 12, 2021
Home to a rich freshwater ecosystem, Cap des Séselets is one of the best snorkeling spots in Lake Bourget. Around the aquatic plants and on the edge of the reeds, many fish such as perch, catfish, trench and freshwater blenny are found. All of this is in shallow waters, and with easy beach access.
Cap des Séselets is located in Viviers-du-Lac, south of Lac du Bourget. It is accessed by the D1201, which runs along the shores of the lake to the south of Aix-les-Bains. A small car park with around 30 spaces (location here) has been set up facing the beach, but it is often full in summer. A second car park is available a little further south, near La Maison des Pêcheurs hotel (location here).
You can get in the water either from Cap des Séselets beach, or from a second beach a few hundred meters further south, near La Maison des Pêcheurs.
The best snorkeling is found in the little cove just south of Cap des Séselets. Here the lakebed forms a gentle, shallow slope (↕2-5ft/0.5-1.5m), perfect for observing the aquatic life from the surface of the water.
On this spot, you can discover a variety of lakebeds, including rocks, aquatic plants (see map), reed beds, and expanses of sand and mud. You can easily see perch everywhere, one of the most common lake fish. The freshwater blenny appreciates rocky areas, where it can hide in case of danger.
Roaches and tench are also regularly seen here. Schools of hundreds of small black bullhead find shelter on the reeds edges in spring and summers.
There are several restaurants near the spot, including Les Rives du Lac restaurant at Cap des Séselets (on the other side of the road) and La Maison des Pêcheurs (which is also a hotel) near the small port.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
